Induction cooking heats a cooking vessel for the purpose of heating food within the vessel. Cooking vessels for induction cooktops are usually ferromagnetic metal such as cast iron or particular stainless steels. A coil of copper wire is placed beneath a glass surface that supports the cooking vessel and an alternating electric current flows through the coil. This produces a magnetic field which induces an electric current in the cooking vessel. Current flowing in the vessel produces resistive heating. Heat from the vessel heats the food within the vessel. Radiant heat from the vessel also heats the glass on which the vessel rests and thereby, the components within the induction cooker.
Induction cookers in the prior art have limited capabilities with reference to temperature accuracy, versatility, user programmability, reliability, longevity and maintenance.
The present invention seeks to address, both alone and in combination some of the deficiencies associated with prior art induction cookers.
Induction cooking is known in both kitchen hobs and stand alone counter top appliances. Such hobs and appliances may have one or more induction coils so as to heat one or more vessels simultaneously. Accordingly, the present invention relates to induction hobs, stand alone induction cookers and other appliances incorporating one or more induction coils for cooking.
The contents of the applicant's PCT application PCT/AU2011/000887 (WO/2012/006674) is incorporated herein by reference.